Electrical connector



Aug. 8, 1967 A. B. CLEW ES ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed Feb. 4, 1965 3,335,398 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Antony Brasher Clewes, Sherwood, England, assignor to United-Carr Incorporated, Boston, Mass, a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 4, 1965, Ser. No. 430,304 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Feb. 6, 1964, 5,137 64 2 Claims. (Cl. 339217) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This patent application relates to a device for preventi g an electrical contact from being pushed out of its insulator during a wire wrapping operation. The device consists of a clip which is secured to the tail of the contact at the point where the tail projects from the insulator. Inclined legs on the clip engage in small recesses on the tail and the upper portions of the clip rest against a shoulder of the insulator adjacent the opening in the insulator which receives the contact.

This invention relates to electrical contacts for electrical connectors and electrical connectors having electrical contacts assembled therein.

The type of connector with which the present invention is concerned comprises a body of insulating material formed with one or more contact receiving recesses opening on to one face, the inner end wall of the recess having an opening through which the tailpiece of the contact assembled in the recess is adapted to extend so as to project outwardly of the connector body. The dimensions of the portion of the contact disposed in the recess is normally such that when it is inserted, its axial movement in the direction of insertion is limited by abutment with the inner end of the recess. In certain cases, however, for example where electrical leads are to be attached to the tailpiece by a wire Wrapping process, a considerable axial force may be imparted to the tailpiece during the wire wrapping which will tend to force the contact outwardly of the recess, that is to say, in a direction opposite to the direction of insertion. In order that the wire wrapping process may be carried out efficiently, it is important that the contacts be held against axial movement due to such force, and it is an object of the present invention to provide means to ensure that they will not be moved axially by such a force.

According to the present invention, an electrical contact for assembly in a recess in an electrical connector formed of insulating material comprises a body and a tailpiece connected thereto, the body being adapted to be located in the recess and the tailpiece being adapted to extend outwardly thereof, the body of the contact having means engageable with means in the recess to limit axial movement of the contact within the recess in one direction and the tailpiece being provided with a stop formed separately of the tailpiece and securable thereto for limiting axial movement of the contact and tailpiece in the opposite direction. The invention also includes an electrical connector comprising a body of insulating material formed with one or more recesses opening on to one face of the body, a contact assembled in the or each recess and provided with a tailpiece extending through an opening in the inner end wall of the recess so as to project outwardly of the body of the connector, the contact having means abutting a portion of the inner surface of the recess to limit axial movement of the contact inwardly of the recess, axial movement in the opposite direction being limited by a stop formed separately of the tailpiece and secured thereto in abutting relation to a portion of the body of the connector adjacent said opening.

To enable the invention to be fully understood, it will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of an electrical connector according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a section on line A--A of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view of the contact;

FIGURE 4 is a side view;

FIGURE 5 is an elevational view of the stop member;

FIGURE 6 is a plan view thereof; and

FIGURE 7 is a side view of the stop illustrated in FIGURE 5.

In the accompanying drawings an electrical connector is illustrated of the type primarily intended as an edge connector for receiving a printed circuit panel, and as shown, comprises a body 1 formed of insulating material such as moulded synthetic plastics having a longitudinal slot 2 for receiving a printed panel edgewise. Transverse recesses 3 are provided opening into the slot and to one face of the body, an electrical contact being mounted in each recess. An opening 4 is provided in the inner end wall of each recess opening on to the opposite or underface of the body 1.

As shown more particularly in FIGURES 3 and 4, a contact to be assembled in the recesses 3 comprises a resilient body portion including a back plate 5 having integral resilient arms 5a adapted when the contact is located in a recess 3 to resiliently engage a printed panel (not shown) when such is inserted into the slot 2. The back plate 5 of the contact is secured, as by spot welding, to a solid tailpiece 6 of rectangular shape in crosssection. The contacts are inserted into the respective recesses from the upper or panel receiving face of the body 1.

When the contacts are assembled in the recesses, the tailpieces 6 project through the openings 4.

As shown more particularly in FIGURE 3, the back plate 5 is recessed adjacent its connection to the tailpiece 6 to provide shoulders 5b adapted, when the contact is assembled in a recess 3, to abut ledges at the inner end of the recess so as to limit the inward inserting movement of the contact axially of the recess.

Lead wires are adapted to be attached to the tailpieces by a wire wrapping process, and during the wire wrapping operation, the tailpieces will normally be subjected to a considerable axial thrust tending to displace the contacts axially in the recesses in a direction opposite to that of the direction of insertion. In order effectively to complete a wire wrapping operation, it is accordingly necessary to ensure that the contacts are firmly held against such axial movement.

For this purpose, a stop formed separately of the tailpiece is provided which as illustrated in FIGURES 3 to 7 comprises a sleeve of generally U-shape in cross-section including opposed arms 7 extending from a base portion 7a. Each arm 7 has a resilient extension 8 disposed at an angle to the arm so as to be inclined inwardly towards one another.

After the electrical contacts have been assembled in the respective recesses in the body of the connector, the sleeve is slipped over the end of the tailpiece so that the base 7a and arms 7 embrace three sides of the tailpiece. The sleeve is then slid upwardly until the free ends of the extensions 8 snap into notches 6a formed in opposed sides of the tailpiece. When the sleeve is in this position, the ends of the base 7a and arms 7 reaxial movement of the tailpiece and contact in a direction opposite to the direction of insertion of the contact into the recess.

While as shown in the drawings the connector is formed with a plurality of recesses 3, it will be understood that the invention also covers a connector having a single recess having a contact assembled therein.

I claim: 7

1. An electrical contact for assembly in a recess in an electrical connector formed of insulating material, said contact having a body and a tailpiece connected thereto, said tailpiece being of solid rectangular shape in crosssection, said body being adapted to be located in said recess and said tailpiece being adapted to extend outwardly thereof, the body of said contact having means engageable with means in said recess to limit axial movement of the contact within the recess in one direction, said tailpiece having notches, and a sleeve U-shaped in cross-section and adapted to make sliding engagement with three sides of said tailpiece, said sleeve having opposed 4- arms provided with inwardly extending resilient portions for snapping engagement into said notches in said tailpiece, said sleeve, acting to limit movement of said contact and tailpiece in the opposite direction.

2. An electrical contact according to claim 1 wherein the resilient portions comprise extensions of said opposed arms, said extensions being at an angle to said arms so that their free ends are directed inwardly towards one another.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1964 Johanson 339-217 X 7/1965 Minich 339-2l7 X FOREIGN PATENTS 474,525 11/1937 Great Britain. 

1. AN ELECTRICAL CONTACT FOR ASSEMBLY IN A RECESS IN AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR FORMED OF INSULATING MATERIAL, SAID CONTACT HAVING A BODY AND A TAILPIECE CONNECTED THERETO, SAID TAILPIECE BEING OF SOLID RECTANGULAR SHAPE IN CROSSSECTION, SAID BODY BEING ADAPTED TO BE LOCATED IN SAID RECESS AND SAID TAILPIECE BEING ADAPTED TO EXTEND OUTWARDLY THEREOF, THE BODY OF SAID CONTACT HAVING MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH MEANS IN SAID RECESS TO LIMIT AXIAL MOVEMENT OF THE CONTACT WITHIN THE RECESS IN ONE DIRECTION, SAID TAILPIECE HAVING NOTCHES, AND A SLEEVE U-SHAPED IN CROSS-SECTION AND ADAPTED TO MAKE SLIDING ENGAGEMENT WITH THREE SIDES OF SAID TAILPIECE, SAID SLEEVE HAVING OPPOSED ARMS PROVIDED WITH INWARDLY EXTENDING RESILIENT PORTIONS FOR SNAPPING ENGAGEMENT INTO SAID NOTCHES IN SAID TAILPIECE, SAID SLEEVE, ACTING TO LIMIT MOVEMENT OF SAID CONTACT AND TAILPIECE IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION 